A handful of years ago, a goofy horned pronghorn stepped out of the sage draw at 300 yards walking across the hillside in front of me. I dropped my pack, scanned for a shooting position, and quickly realized there wasn’t one above the sage-brush. All of the vegetation was knee-high or better and the slope uneven. Time was ticking as he knew I was there, but he wasn’t bolting – yet.
So I did what I’ve learned to do after years of trial and error: I threw my rifle into my tripod and went to work.
That buck is one of my coolest euros of a pronghorn today because of it.
Most hunters think of a tripod as nothing more than a place to mount their glass, though the competitive shooting scene has used tripods for stability for ages now (it seems).
And they’re right.
Certainly, a tripod can be the single most important tool for spotting game at distance, next to the optics you put on top of them. But a tripod can be so much more. With a little practice, it becomes one of the steadiest and most versatile shooting platforms in your entire kit.
I use mine in four different ways depending on the situation. Some are high-tech, some are improvised, and all of them have saved hunts when no other shooting rest was possible, which has turned out to be 47% of the successful western hunts I’ve been a part of. If you aren’t prepared for ways to use your tripod as a shooting platform, you will be leaving a lot of steady shot opportunities on the table.
Arca-Swiss Mount: For Precision Shooting
This one requires some setup, but it’s as close to bench-rest stability as you’ll find from a seated position in the field. By adding an Arca-Swiss plate to the forend of your rifle and using a tripod head that accepts it – as most are arca these days – you can lock the gun directly into the tripod.
The result is rock-solid confidence at longer ranges. This is my go-to when I’ve got time to settle in on an animal across a drainage (250+ yards) and every ounce of stability matters. Keep in mind, the steadier large pan-heads are hard to get level for longer range shots.
That’s where the ball head mounts come in handy, but inevitably you sacrifice some of the smooth glassing features of the alternative. If you can find a hybrid head, all the better, but you take a weight penalty. Finding out how your current system works for you and understanding how to overcome it’s shortfalls is a must before taking long shots this way.
It’s not as fast as other methods, and yes, it adds some gear complexity and cost to get your rifle in this configuration, but if you’re serious about accuracy, nothing beats it. Some rifle stocks are even coming with the arca rail built into the forend, but I have also just tapped holes and added aftermarket attachments to my workhorse rifles, as well.
The Shooting Y Attachment
The simplest solution is often the best. A lightweight Y-shaped shooting rest that attaches to your tripod turns it into a dedicated shooting stick in seconds. Multiple companies make ultralight versions that ride in the side pocket of a pack without you even noticing.
I bring this along on all my pronghorn trips or when I know I’ll be sitting on an ambush setup for elk coming into a meadow, or buck mule deer popping out of the brush at last light. It’s light, quick, and effective without having to worry about getting the tripod perfectly level because you can do that in the Y itself. Sometimes it’s all you need.
The Jacket In Its Pocket or Dedicated Shooting Bag
Improvised doesn’t mean sloppy. I’ve draped everything from my puffy jacket in its pocket to a lightweight bead-filled bag over the top of my tripod and used it as a cushioned rest. This trick quiets your setup, adapts to awkward angles, and keeps the rifle steady without any specialized gear.
At the range, I’ll bring my small bead-filled shooting bag and practice this way. In the field, nine times out of ten it’s just a coat or whatever else I have that’s soft and goes on top of my tripod head. It shines on short to mid-range shots when you want comfort and stability but don’t need to fuss with attachments. I watched a 17-year old girl take her first mule deer at 207 yards seated shooting this way, and she made a beautiful shot. It’s a great tool to have in your quiver with few extra things you need to bring or buy.
The Pan Handle “Crotch”
Sometimes you don’t have time to mess with plates and knobs or reach into your bag and grab a soft cushion for the top. That’s where the quick “pan-handle crotch” trick comes in. By flipping the handle of your pan head upright, you create a natural V-rest and hold one side of your rifle with your forehand. Drop the rifle into the slot your pan handle makes, lean forward with a little pressure, and you’re steady enough for most short hunting shots with more steadiness than standing upright or leaning on your pack.
It’s fast, requires no extra parts, and works for a variety of heights by using the neck of your tripod or extending and retracting legs. If you come over the rise to see a nice pronghorn standing in the Wyoming sagebrush and you’ve got seconds to react, this is the method I default to.
Why This Matters
The truth is, western hunts rarely give you a picture-perfect prone shot. More often, you’re side-hilling through deadfall, trying to clear sagebrush, or shooting across canyons or draws where the slope falls away in front of you. If you’re not practicing with your tripod as a shooting rest, you’re leaving those opportunities on the table for making the best shot possible.
When you’re at the range this summer, don’t just sight-in off a bench. Practice locking in with your Arca plate. Try the pan handle trick. Rest your rifle over a jacket. See how it feels. You’ll quickly learn which setups give you the confidence you need when the shot of the season presents itself.
Because when that pronghorn buck pops out of the sage draw below you, or that bull feeds into the open across the basin, you won’t be thinking about how to improvise. You’ll already know.
Closing Thoughts
Western hunting is unpredictable. Animals don’t stand where we want them to, and the country doesn’t lend itself to easy shooting positions. But the one piece of gear you always have with you—your tripod—can bridge the gap between a shaky off-hand shot and a clean, confident trigger pull.
So don’t limit your tripod to glassing duty. Double its usefulness. Make it your shooting platform, too. The next time your crosshairs settle in steady on a buck of a lifetime, you’ll be glad you did.
1 comment
I utilize the Spartan ARCA tripod mount. It’s a quick change out from a spotting scope, and is very solid.